Death bed wedding
by broomstick flyer
Summary: Hermione Granger walked down the isle and stood with her groom, before she could say her vows she was called away by an emergency. On the day of the wedding Harry Potter lay dying, he had been hit in the back by a very dark spell, H/Hr


Disclaimer……….. All characters are the copyright of JK Rowling, if they were mine we would have had a totally different book seven.

The death bed wedding

It was the absolutely perfect day for her wedding, the summer sun was shining above them, there was not a cloud to be seen in the sky, all the garden flowers were giving off their amazing scents and aroma's. The grass of the lawn was a wonderful rich green. All the trees were decorated with garlands thanks to George. The food was prepared and the drinks were ready, the guests were seated and the groom, Ron Weasley, was standing waiting for her at the alter at the other end of the aisle, yes it was the perfect day for Hermione's wedding except for just the one small thing, Harry James Potter, her best friend since she was eleven years old hadn't turned up. A rather angry and red faced Ron, who had once been Harry's other best friend, had had to ask Neville Longbottom to stand in as best man.

Hermione looked at the sad shake of the head her father gave as she took his arm, she knew exactly why her dad done it, she knew that he and her mother were convinced she was doing the wrong thing, they had told her that she was making the biggest mistake she could ever possibly make, not only was she going to marry the wrong man, but they had both been cruel enough to ask the right man to be the best man, and even though she didn't want to admit it, she thought he would have truly been the best man here if he had turned up.

Harry not turning up had given her feelings she didn't want to understand, and filled her with more doubt, she was no longer even sure she was in love with the man she was walking toward, but Hermione Jane Granger was a stubborn woman, it was going to take a lot more than pre wedding jitters to make her change her mind, so clinging to her fathers arm she carried on walking slowly determinedly down the aisle.

The music that had accompanied her walk had just stopped; she had come to the end of that long walk and had reached her groom, she suddenly felt sad, as though this was so wrong. It was as her father was placing her hand in a smiling Ron Weasley's hand when the large owl that had appeared suddenly surprised her as it landed on her arm and held out its leg to her.

Feeling a little annoyed with the bird but hoping it was from Harry, Hermione opened the letter and read the contents, after a quick look of shock appeared on her face she shoved the parchment into her fathers hand hurriedly telling him to give it to Remus, then after muttering a very quick 'sorry' to Ron she vanished.

Richard Granger did as she had asked and rushed down the aisle looking amongst the faces of the amazed people for Remus, on finding him he handed him the note, seeing the look on Remus's face, Richard asked Remus to take him with him. Remus did not ask why Richard wanted to go with him, he just wrapped his arm around the man's waist and they too vanished just as Hermione had.

Richard found him self in the Wizard hospital, St Mungo's, he had never been there before but he had heard enough about it to know that that was where they were "Is it Harry?" he asked as Remus strode toward the reception desk.

Remus handed him the letter that Hermione had received, and unfolding it he began to read the rather short and to the point message,

'_Harry, ambushed, probably fatal, St Mungo's, love Luna.'_

Richard could not think who this Luna was, he knew he had heard the name before but he put that out of his mind as he followed Remus through a maze of corridors, a few minutes later they saw Hermione in front of them arguing with someone in a green robe.

"Look miss you are not family, you should go back to your wedding, his family will let you know if any thing happens," Richard heard the man saying when he and Remus reached them.

As Hermione opened her mouth to argue with the man further, the door to the room where Harry was opened, and a long blond haired woman put her head out, "Ah Hermione here at last, Harry he's asking for you," she said in a dreamy way.

"This fool won't let me in," Hermione almost shouted at Luna as she pointed her finger at the healer.

Luna gave the man an odd look before she spoke "You know you really should let her in, my brother Harry would want his bride to be with him."

The healer muttered and protested "She never said she was his bride."

Luna looked up to the ceiling then rolled her eyes "Why on earth do you think she is dressed in a wedding dress with a bouquet in her hand, do you think she left the man she was about to marry to be at the bedside of another man?"

The healer looked rather apologetic and then guilty, mumbled to him self "I'll never understand women," before he told Hermione she should go in as they did not know if Harry was going to make it, they were waiting for the countries best healer to arrive.

After telling the healer who they were, the boy's guardian and the bride's father, pushed the healer aside and Remus followed by Richard walked in to the room following in Hermione's wake. When they reached the bed Harry lay in, Luna was standing on one side of the bed holding Harry's left hand while Hermione was on the other side of the bed holding his other hand while she stroked his cheek and murmured that she was here for him and always would be, she quietly pleaded with him not to leave her alone in a world without him in it.

It was five minutes later when Poppy Pomfrey arrived, it appeared that the best healer in the land was the one healer they all trusted so much, the healer from Hogwarts School where until just six months ago the young ones had been students. Poppy checked Harry over and then spoke to them, "I don't really think he has much chance of pulling through this one, I think we may actually lose him this time." she then seemed to notice that Hermione was wearing a wedding dress, "Were you about to get married?"

Hermione unable to speak in case she lost the little control she still had nodded her head.

Poppy smiled at Hermione "You should still go ahead and marry him; it may give him the extra will and a chance to live. I remember well the times when you were in my ward, right from that time you were petrified, he stuttered then when he said he did not really want his wife to be a statue, every time you were ill he would tell you not to die, he used to make me giggle each time he asked you who was he supposed to marry if you died, he said he really didn't want to marry a corps but he didn't want to marry anyone else either, I lost count of the number of times he told you he was in love with you. That last time you were in one of my beds just before last Christmas, I heard him telling you to get better so now that Voldemort was gone he could finally propose, he even tried showing you the ring even though you weren't awake, I often wondered what he would do if you woke up and heard him."

Luna was the only one who spoke, she was holding out a small red velvet box, in it were a matching engagement and wedding rings set, all of them in white gold, each of the three rings were engraved with the interlaced initials of H.J.P and H.J.G, "This fell from his trouser pocket," she said handing the small red velvet box to Hermione.

Richard pulled Hermione to one side and whispered "Do you need anymore convincing how much you love each other, you just left your wedding without a single thought about the Weasel fellow, and why? So you could be with Harry, and Harry? he's carrying around the ring's he bought for you, how you ever chose that thick guy who makes you cry so much over Harry I don't know, but I do know one thing my girl, you are going to regret it for all eternity if you don't take the opportunity to marry the guy you really love, at least if he dies he will die happy, and if he lives you will both be happy."

Hermione finally let go of the stubbornness that had kept her out of Harry's arms for so long, she let herself admit to having loved him for almost all of the time she had known him, once she had done that she felt the tears pushing at her eyelids, but she determined she would not let them fall, not yet, not while there was still a little hope, she would die to protect her Harry if she had too, if in getting married the two of them could share just a few minutes of their love together then she would do just that, she would cry later as his widow if he did not make it, but for now she would become his wife.

"Mum should be here," she managed to say to her dad.

Hermione spoke haltingly to madam Pomfrey asking how they could have the wedding while Harry was unconscious, Poppy told her she could wake him for a few minutes for the ceremony but she would then have to put him back to sleep as soon as it was over, so Hermione told her as soon as her mother arrived she would be ready to marry Harry.

Richard told Remus that there was to be a wedding and asked if he could fetch Mrs Granger without telling anyone why, he was wise enough to know he did not want any of the Weasels around. Remus nodded and then vanished with a pop, he returned just five minutes later with a rather confused Helen Granger, a minute later Tonks Lupin walked into the room, with her came the wizard who had performed their wedding just a couple of months ago.

The small group of people gathered around Harry's bed while Poppy with several waves of her wand and some charms woke Harry up, she placed some temporary pain relieving charms on him that removed most of his pain.

Harry did not have the strength to sit up, he smiled when he saw Hermione in her wedding dress, then for a moment his face showed some real sorrow, "I'm sorry if I ruined your wedding day," he said as he gave her hand a feeble squeeze, "I only want you to be happy."

Hermione smiled at him before she leant over him and kissed him, as the kiss ended she whispered to him "You could only spoil my wedding day if you refused to marry me, I love you Harry, no one else, and I know now no one else can ever take your place," Hermione straightened up a little "so Mr Potter we have the druid, we have the rings, will you marry me?"

Harry looked at those gathered around him "Am I going to die?" he asked her quietly. He knew Hermione would not lie to him, so he took in a breath and held it as she answered his question. "We have Poppy here for you my love, you know she's the best, she says you have a small chance of making it, but Harry darling I want you to fight this like you never fought before, I want that family you always told me about, I want your children around me, I want to be your wife and mother to your family," Hermione said the tears finally escaping.

Harry looked lovingly at the woman he thought he had lost, and once again he was surprised at just how much he loved her "If you are telling me not to die sweet heart then I wouldn't dare too now would I," Harry said a smile reaching his pain filled eyes.

Poppy tapped Hermione on the shoulder "Don't take to long child, the pain won't be held off for long."

Hermione nodded and she then asked the druid if he could marry them quickly, the old druid had done this before and knew just what to do and what to expect, he stepped to the foot of the bed and smiled at Harry.

"We are here to bring this Wizard and Witch together under the mystical and magical bond of marriage. So Harry James Potter, will you take this Witch as your bonded soul mate for all time?"

Harry coughed and spluttered choking up blood and gasping before he finally gave Hermione a smile as she wiped the blood from him "I will, for all time."

"Hermione Jane Granger, will you take this Wizard as your bonded soul mate for all time?"

Hermione smiled at Harry as she said "I will, for all time."

Taking out his wand the Druid waved it over their joined hands and chanted a betrothal and bonding charm, watching as the light from his wand encircled their joined hands, slowly the light grew more intense and then turned golden coloured before it snaked its way up their arms and finally into their hearts.

"I can now pronounce the bonding complete, you are now man and wife." The Druid said as he placed his wand back in his robes and got Harry to sign the marriage book before he turned to get Hermione's signature, along with some witness signatures.

Hermione leant over and kissed Harry "Time to sleep now my love, come back to me, remember our family," she said as his eyes closed and he slipped into a pain induced unconsciousness.

Poppy with a tear on her cheek quickly explained what she was about to do, the spell Harry had been hit with though very slowly spreading and tearing up his inside was being temporarily held like some sort of struggling prisoner by Harry's magical core, and she could do nothing to get past that magic unless she could get direct access to it and pour on some Phoenix tears. She would have to cut Harry's chest open so she could place the phoenix tears physically on and around his heart. It was a very dangerous procedure and nearly always failed but it was the only way, the only thing they could do.

After checking Harry over with her many diagnostic charms Poppy began her work, she sent them out of the room for a while telling them that it had been a long time since she had had to open someone up to repair the damage, she would need all her concentration on her patient, she couldn't risk any distraction, she was then joined by a large team of healers, one of them ushered them all out of the door, before leaving them he suggested that they prayed to who ever they believed in for a miracle.

Remus was the first one to speak about and hour after they had all sat down on the chairs in the corridor, "So Luna, how long have I had a surrogate goddaughter?" he asked as he looked at the dreamy eyed woman.

"Oh only since I brought Harry in, we were on our way to the wedding, we had stopped at Diagon Alley because Harry had been unable to find his black tie, and he was insisting he was going to wear one to show he was mourning the loss of his true love, anyway we were ambushed outside the shop, when I apparated us here I knew they would not let me in unless I was family, so I told them I was his only living family apart from his godfather, they let me in then, I had to lie to them I couldn't leave Harry all alone while he was in so much pain," Luna replied saving them having to ask what had happened to Harry.

Hermione smiled at the woman sitting next to her, "Harry thinks of you as the sister he never had you know, he told me quite some time ago how he loves you that way," she told Luna.

"I thought so," Luna said quietly "You know he was the first one who ever showed any interest in me as a friend, he was quite furious when I told him about my things going missing," she added with a tear falling down her pale cheek.

After a minute or so Luna spoke again "You were the only friends I've ever had, I know people think me crazy but you, Harry, and Ginny, didn't treat me like that."

Hermione chuckled a little as she took Luna's hand "Luna dear, you have to be a little crazy to want us as friends, we always seem to attract trouble."

Luna nodded "Hmm but it's nice to have exciting people who will love me for who I am."

"Well that's my Harry for you, he has the biggest heart I ever knew," Hermione said as her tears threatened once again to fall.

"That heart belongs to you, I hope you keep it safe," Luna said as she placed her head on Remus's shoulder and closed her eyes, "It's nice to have a godfather, even if it is only temporary."

"So sweet heart are you going to tell your old mum what it was that made you finally listen to your heart?" Mrs Granger asked from beside her husband.

"She left that thick Weasel prat at the alter without a second thought when she got that note telling her about Harry, I just happened to remind her of that fact," Richard said as he smiled at Hermione, he was proud of what she had done, he knew it took a lot of courage to admit your love and marry some one who may well be dead with in the next few hours.

------

At the Granger house.

Ronald Bilius Weasley looked around with a feeling of real satisfaction, everything seemed to be perfect, and now that he knew that something had already gone wrong, and he had been able to put it right simply by asking Neville to take Harry's place he was feeling happy again, he watched as the woman he had once thought of as a nightmare walked down the aisle toward him, she was no longer the plain Jane she had once been, she was now a very beautiful and desirable woman, at least that was what Harry had told him.

In just a few minutes time his mother would be so happy with him, Hermione would be his wife and the Weasley blood line would get yet another new source, yes his mother will be so proud of him. He was still smiling when Hermione's hand was being placed in his, that is until she received that owl, she had just mumbled something and vanished, he had absolutely no idea where she had gone, he knew where she had not gone she could not have gone home to her parents because they were already in her parents garden.

All his brothers had been out trying to find her but they had had no luck, now things were even worse, the guests were getting restless and thirsty sitting in the sun and Harry's crazy house elf Kreacher had locked up the Granger house so they could not get at the food or drink.

'_That woman really is a nightmare, why the hell I wanted to marry her I don't know'_ Ron thought as he sat down on the closest chair '_now that I think about it, I never did want to marry her, it was all my bloody stupid mothers idea, I'm glad she did a runner gave me time to come to my bloomin senses'_

"Oy George you fancy a beer over at the leaky cauldron," Ron called as he got up "bloody hell that was a narrow escape," he said to his brother as George joined him.

"You're going to have to move out of the Burrow just like the rest of us if you want a life of your own," George told Ron just before they both vanished.

They were joined just a few minutes later by the other Weasley brothers who all congratulated him on getting out of his mothers plans for the one big happy family, Bill offered him a job and a place to live over in France until their mother had calmed down.

"Yeah should only be for two or three years," Charlie said seriously.

"Your turn for the beers, Ron," Ginny their sister said as she joined them, "oh and if you have the extra room Bill, I think I'd like to come over there with you, mums already on the warpath because the whole Granger family have vanished."

The impromptu Weasley siblings get together moved away from their mothers reach via portkey to a small village in southern France, where they continued their get together in a rather nice bar.

-----

St Mungo's hospital

Using her charms and spells Poppy Pomfrey could see the dark magic that was trapped inside Harry, gently trying not to jolt his heart she began to drip the Phoenix tears around the area, then after wiping away the sweat from her brow she took a deep breath, the next step was the part that was so dangerous, she had to drip just the right amount of Phoenix tears on his heart, to little and it would have no effect on the dark magic, to much and it would rip a hole in Harry's magical core allowing his life force to seep away. Placed in the area the dark spell would be unaffected. She thought that four drops around the edge and just the one drop in the centre of the pumping muscle. And so slowly she began to place the drops, as the last one hit the centre of Harry's magical core around his heart there was a huge flash of blue light rapidly followed by a flash of dark red light and then another flash of blue, Poppy noticed that the last flash had been streaked with gold and she thanked the maker for Hermione.

It took Poppy nearly an hour longer to ensure that there was no more dark magic left inside Harry before she began to repair his chest. It had taken her three and a half hours but she was ready to tell Hermione she could come back in now.

-----

Hermione had spent three and a half hours alternating between sitting and pacing up and down the corridor, she could not believe she had been stupid enough to ignore all the signs, she wondered why she had thought it wrong to be in love with Harry because he was her best friend, and yet she had thought it okay to think she could try to love Ron her other best friend, she could now see the stupidity of such a contradiction, and if she had not thought that way maybe this morning she would have been standing out in all that sunshine happily marrying Harry the man she really did love.

There had been very little conversation between members of the small group of people who waited worriedly out side the spell damage theatre of St Mungo's wizard hospital, they had sat or paced, some even dozed as they awaited news, then three and a half hours after they had been ushered into the corridor Poppy Pomfrey poked her head out of the door.

"You can come and sit with your husband now Mrs Potter," she said trying to look more cheerful than she felt.

It took a shake from her mother before Hermione realised she was being spoken to "Oh sorry, is Harry ok?"

Poppy looked at the worried young woman "Well Mrs Potter why don't you come and sit with your husband for a while?"

Hermione nodded and made her way into the room, Harry was still lying in the same bed, he looked deathly pale as he struggled to breathe, Hermione took his hand before she leant over him and kissed his cheeks several times, she was berating her self for having missed so many years with Harry, she should know what his kisses are like, she should know the taste and feel of him, instead she was left with this longing for him to wake up and to kiss her properly for the first time.

"Harry darling don't leave me now, not when I just found you, don't leave me now I've listened to my heart, I love you Harry, I want that family, I want to be the mother of your children," she told him as she finally let her tears escape.

Poppy stood back watching the young couple she had watched grow up and her heart twisted a little, with a tear escaping her eye she called Hermione's mum in to the room.

Hermione threw her self into her mother's arms "I'm going to lose him mum," she cried on her mothers shoulder.

Helen Granger held her sobbing daughter in her arms as tightly as she could, she tried to think of some comforting words to say to the young woman who had denied her love for so long, but she could think of none, in stead she held onto her daughter and said,

"Where is that determined stubborn and courageous girl that Harry helped to form, the one who helped him save the world?"

Hermione took a deep breath and forced her self to stop crying, Harry needed her now more than he had ever needed her before, and she needed him, "I'm still here mum, I'll fight death himself to keep my husband if I have to," she said as she once again took hold of Harry's hand.

Poppy smiled a sad smile at Hermione before speaking "Let him know you are here, try to talk him into coming back to you. If anything happens send someone for me, I'll be in the restaurant."

For two and a half days Hermione stayed with Harry talking to him about their past and their future, she also repeated that she loved him, while the others took turns in keeping her company at his bedside, during those two and a half days Harry's heart had stopped several times and Poppy had managed to get it to start again.

It was just after lunch and Luna had just joined Hermione, as Luna had taken hold of Harry's left hand his heart stopped once again, Poppy moved Luna to the side and tried several times to restart the young mans heart but nothing was working Harry Potter was dead, with tears running down her face she whispered "He's gone."

Hermione turned and screamed at Poppy "I won't let him be bloody dead." Turning to Harry she began to shout at him "Harry bloody Potter don't you dare leave me, I'm to bloody young to be a widow, now you get your arse back here and you wake the bloody hell up."

Remus, Tonks, Richard, and Helen, hearing the commotion rushed in to see the three women crying, Poppy whispered again "He's gone."

Hermione shouted at him one more time "HARRY DON'T GO, please don't leave me." She rested her head on his chest as she sobbed like she had never sobbed before.

Helen waited for several seconds before she pulled her grief stricken daughter into a hug, as she did so she noticed Harry's chest rise a little.

"He's alive, Poppy he's breathing," she gasped out loud.

Poppy waved her wand over Harry once again and he was indeed alive, Helen took a while to get through Hermione's grief to make her realise he was still with them; Hermione almost threw her self on him as she rushed to be with him.

"Harry James Potter, I'll bloody kill you if you do that to me again," she said as she kissed his cheek. Harry must have heard her because he took in a much deeper breath.

Harry woke two days later to find two snoozing witches sitting by his bed, the two women he loved most, Luna who he would have liked to have had as a sister and his best friend Hermione, he was just about to wake them when he remembered getting married, Hermione was not only his best friend she was also his wife, then he remembered her shouting at him and threatening him, he knew it had been her voice that stopped him going on to the next great adventure.

"Could a thirsty husband have a drink?" he asked croaking a little and smiling as Hermione's eyes opened.

Hermione hadn't a clue what he had said, all she knew was she had heard that wonderful voice, her husband was awake, he was going to be okay, she was smothering him in kisses when Luna gently pulled her off him enough to hand him a glass of water. Smiling and regaining her dreamy look, a tired but happy Luna walked out of the room and looked at the waiting people, "He's awake," she said sitting down and giving into the tears she had held back for so long.

Remus tried to comfort the strange young woman who had told him she had adopted him as her godfather, just as she had adopted Harry as her brother, and while Remus talked to Luna the rest of the group walked in to see the young man who had had them all so very worried.

It was two weeks later when Hermione was able to have her first real kiss with Harry, she had just picked him up from St Mungo's and they were sitting in the back of her dads car heading for the Granger house and their rather small wedding reception, it was the kind of kiss that girls often dream about, it seemed to have turned her bones to water and lit a fire in her she had never felt before, stars flitted around behind her closed eye lids, and her whole world shook.

The day of the wedding.

Harry never saw or felt the spell that had hit him in the centre of his back, he was just following Luna in to the shop when everything went black.

Harry stood and looked out at the darkness, it seemed to be getting closer over to his left, so he concentrated on that area and the darkness seemed to retreat a little, he couldn't help but wonder how he had got here, the last real thing he remembered was entering the clothes shop with Luna, after that there was just this strange place, thinking hard he managed to conjure a comfortable arm chair not unlike the one's from the Gryffindor common room.

As he sat down he tried to work out where he was, he knew he wasn't dead because somewhere behind the darkness that somehow felt like an evil presence he could somehow feel or was it more 'sense' pain, finally he came to the only conclusion that was left open to him and made sense, he must have been knocked out, still it seemed odd to be knocked out for so long, and why did the darkness feel so down right evil.

It felt to Harry he had been fighting and pushing this darkness back for hours, maybe even days when he was suddenly aware of being asleep, finally someone was waking him, he didn't know how he knew, he couldn't feel them nor could he hear them but there was something waking him.

As he awoke he was suddenly assailed by floods of excruciating pain that made the cruciatus pain feel like a small pinch, then he heard Madam Pomfrey's voice and he could feel the pain subsiding, as the pain died down, with a little effort he was able to open his eyes.

Opening his eyes Harry's vision cleared as some one placed his glasses on him, and he saw the one woman he truly loved standing there, for a fleeting moment he was disappointed as he thought '_it's all a bloody dream'_, then he noticed she was all in white, he remembered it was her wedding day, he was supposed to be best man, that's where he had been going, he wondered how he had ended up in a hospital bed, and why Hermione was standing over him. Turning his attention back to looking at Hermione and feasting his eyes on the beauty of her he noticed she was actually still wearing her wedding dress, she couldn't have looked more beautiful than she did as she smiled at him.

He could feel her hand in his so he gave it a gentle squeeze "I'm sorry if I ruined your wedding day, I only want you to be happy," he said feeling bad about ruining her day.

Hermione then did something that shut his brain down for a short time, she leant over and kissed him, it wasn't passionate or hot, but it was absolutely full of love, love that he could feel coming from her, and it was for him, he felt the softness and warmth of the lips he had wondered about kissing for so many years, when his brain began to work again she was talking to him.

"You could only spoil my wedding day if you refused to marry me, I love you Harry, no one else, and I know now no one else can ever take your place, so Mr Potter we have the druid, we have the rings, will you marry me?"

Harry wondered if he had died and this was his own private version of heaven, but as he thought it he felt the pain beginning to return, maybe it's all just a dream like I thought, or maybe I'm dying… that's what it is! I must be dying, this is my dying gift. Well it won't be so bad if I do die if I can be Hermione's husband when I go.

He asked her if he was dying and he knew she would not lie to him, she told him that Poppy was there for him and she seemed to think he had a chance to live, he could hear in her voice that she was truly frightened.

Things started to get a little blurry as the pain began to increase, he did his best to fend it off as he tried to concentrate on what was happening around him, then he was being asked if he would take Hermione for his bonded mate, and he did the thing he had up to now only dreamt of, he said "I do, for all time," soon the pain was beginning to get to be too much, but he managed to sign the book that was placed in front of him, he heard her voice as the darkness folded around him like a cold and pain filled blanket, "Time to sleep now my love, come back to me, remember our family,"

The next thing he remembered he was sitting once again with the darkness around him, he leant back in his comfy armchair, then a door suddenly appeared just a few dozen feet away from him, he watched intrigued as the door standing there on the edge of the darkness just slowly materialized and solidified. As inquisitive as he always had been, Harry walked over and inspected the door, it had no hinges, no handle, and no wall or anything to support it, he walked around it and found that there was nothing behind it; both sides of the odd door seemed to be exactly the same.

Sitting back in his chair and trying to keep away the darkness he occasionally looked over at the door just standing there, he had no interest in opening it; he was quite comfy enough with his armchair and it was too much trouble to find a way to open a door with no handle.

Suddenly there was a huge flash of blue light, quickly followed by a red light and then another blue light that left behind a golden glow, as the glow slowly faded the door opened and a stranger, an aged bearded man stepped from the door way, the door swinging shut behind him as he did so.

Harry watched in wonder as another chair appeared and the old man sat down next to him, "Hello Harry."

Harry stared at the old man wondering if he should know him, eventually his curiosity got the better of him and he had to ask "Who exactly are you?"

"People call me Nostradamus," the old man answered smiling at him.

"Nostradamus, you're the one who wrote out all those predictions the Muggles seem to enjoy so much," Harry commented bringing another smile to the old man's face.

"So you've heard about me then, yes I did all those famous predictions, that's me and my small claim to fame, you on the other hand, you are the one who saved the world, the one who defeated Riddle," the old man's awed sounding voice replied.

Harry and the old man had a fairly long conversation about the predictions that the old man had made "So how did you see into the future, are you a seer?" Harry asked as the conversation began to die.

"Me no, no such luck, I used a magic mirror and quite a lot of imagination, the mirror could only show me snap shots, never gives a full view of things, I can show it to you if you want," Nostradamus told him eagerly as he rose from the chair, "come on I'll show you."

Before he realised it Harry was walking with Nostradamus who had his arm slung over his shoulder, in front of them the door opened and as it did so Harry thought he felt his heart stop, that was when he heard Hermione's voice in his head.

"Harry darling I want you to fight this like you never fought before, I want that family you always told me about, I want your children around me, I want to be your wife and mother to your family."

And for the first time since he arrived back in the darkness he remembered he had married Hermione and she had told him not to die.

Harry stopped walking and looking up he saw they were just a few feet from the door, he began to back up and he could feel his heart begin to beat again. "You tried to trick me," he yelled as he rushed back to the safety of his armchair. "What is it on the other side of that door?"

"There's nothing, nothing at all, did you not check it your self, come I'll show you if you don't believe me," the old man told him.

Harry almost got up to take a look but then something made him stop, he had remembered something now what had it been, _'it was something important, some thing that had kept him safe, Hermione! He had married his true love, it had been her voice that kept him safe, I have to remember'_ he told him self.

"Oh no old man, you don't fool me that easy again," Harry said with conviction.

Looking resigned the old man sat back down, after another brief conversation Nostradamus stood up and said "Well seems you have me beat Harry, I'll just be off now, back where I came from, so it's been nice meeting you, bye." With that said the old man walked over and the door opened he stepped through it and was gone.

Harry sat back and relaxed finding his memories coming to him much easier now that the old man was gone. He began to wonder what had happened to Hermione, why had she been at his bedside on the day she should have married Ron, why had she decided to marry him instead, what had changed her mind. He remembered her saying she had finally listened to her heart, had she loved him for some time, of course she must have, he decided, she would not have said the things she did if she hadn't meant them, had it taken him being near to dying that had made her change her mind, but that couldn't be right, she had stood by his bed before while he had been close to death, she had never decided then that she loved him. After all his deliberations all he came up with was that something must have happened apart from him being here. As he came to his '_amazing deduction'_ he chuckled, "I'd never make much of a detective, better give up on all that Auror stuff I think," he said to himself.

Just then the door opened again and Fred Weasley stepped out "Hiya Harry, how's it going?" he said as he made his way to the second chair.

"Hello Fred what are you doing here?" Harry asked suddenly wondering what had been on his mind just a second or so ago.

"Oh just thought I'd pop over, have a chat, that sort of thing you know," Fred replied grinning one of the famous Weasley grins.

"I thought you were dead," Harry suddenly burst out as he watched Fred get comfortable.

"Me Nah, too much to live for," Fred said not looking Harry in the eye but looking around instead, "not much of a place you have here, any fire whisky knocking about?"

Harry shook his head and looked around, all he could see was a small area of light just a few dozen feet around him, and after that it was that blooming darkness, though now when he looked he realised it had stopped creeping in on him and didn't feel evil any more, not since the strange lights he had seen.

"No, got nothing much at all Have I?" Harry said as he brought his attention back to Fred.

"How about popping over to my place, I have a bottle open, I've got some butterbeer as well if you fancy one," Fred said getting up and pulling Harry out of his chair. Harry nodded and followed Fred, once again he felt his heart stop, and then he heard Hermione's voice in his head again.

"Come back to me, remember our family,"

Harry stopped walking and looked up, he was as close as he had been to the open door, quickly he backed off, "Oh no, I'm not falling for that, I'm married now and I haven't even kissed her yet, married to the most wonderful woman on earth, no Fred, you want a drink you go off and get one, me I'm staying here for now."

Fred shrugged his shoulders and sauntered off through the door, the door closed behind him and Harry found himself once more able to remember.

Having been sat for what may have been days Harry decided to see if there was any other way out of this place, without having to go through that blooming door that some one seemed so anxious to get him through.

He spent ages looking all around, he even got down on his hands and knees to see if there was some hidden trapdoor, after what seemed like a day or more he gave up and went to sit down once again.

Harry had just got comfortable and was thinking about just how long he may have been here, he could not remember having had any sleep since he arrived and yet he did not feel tired, it all seemed to remind him he had decided he had been knocked out, '_still its been a blooming long time'_ he thought, then the door opened again, Cedric Diggory stepped out and without even looking at the chair he stood there with his hand out for Harry to shake.

Harry got up and with his hand out he walked over to Cedric noticing he felt his heart stop yet again.

"Fancy a quick game of Quidditch Harry?" Cedric asked smiling.

Harry was about to say yes when he heard a strange voice in his head again "Hermione Jane Granger, will you take this Wizard as your bonded soul mate for all time?"

Harry heard Hermione answer "I will, for all time."

Once again he stopped and this time he ran back to the safety of his chair, "Boy that was to close," he said to himself as he sat back down. When he looked up Cedric was gone and the door was closed.

Harry tried to think what Ron would say when he found out that Hermione was the wife of Harry Potter, his one time best friend, he chuckled as he pictured the red haired Gryffindor yelling about Hermione belonging to him, and Hermione yelling back that she belonged to nobody, she was her own woman who was free to choose who she married. As he sat there chuckling the door opened and Harry saw Albus Dumbledore standing in the door way.

"Could I see you in my office for a moment Harry?" Dumbledore asked smiling that twinkle eyed smile.

Harry got up from his chair "Certainly Sir," he said walking over to the head master, this time he did not notice when his heart stopped again.

Dumbledore invited Harry into the office and as they entered Harry heard someone some where out in the darkness yelling.

"Harry bloody Potter don't you dare leave me, I'm to bloody young to be a widow, now you get your arse back here and you wake the bloody hell up."

At first he wondered who it was yelling and who she was yelling at, then some vague memory made him stop, he caught hold of the door that was just about to close, he wanted to hear more of that voice, for some reason he had recognised it.

"Close the door Harry, there's a good lad," Dumbledore told him.

Harry was just about to do as he was told when he remembered that voice had been shouting at a Harry, he wondered was it possible the woman was shouting at him, he stared out of the door but all he could see was darkness, and then he heard the woman give a heart rending shout.

"HARRY DON'T GO! Please don't leave me."

He stared harder into the darkness and he could hear her sobbing, as her sobs got louder the space outside the door began to get light, a few seconds later and Harry knew exactly where he was, he had been here before, it was the last place he had seen Dumbledore, still clinging to the door he looked behind him and he recognised the compartment that looked just like the compartments on the Hogwarts express and then he felt it begin to move.

Harry knew where he was, some how he had been tricked onto the train that would take him away from life and onto the next great adventure, but Harry wanted to go back and enjoy the adventure it would be being married to Hermione, his soul mate, and best friend.

"That woman damn!" he heard Dumbledore say as he jumped from the now moving train he was on, landing on the white platform Harry watched as the train pulled away.

"You nearly got me that time, but Hermione Gran… Potter isn't that easy to leave," he said as he waved goodbye to Dumbledore, who with a smile waved back.

Harry was smiling at the waving Dumbledore when the old man turned into the Grim Reaper, Harry waved again as he heard Hermione "Harry James Potter, I'll bloody kill you if you do that to me again." This time she was definitely not in his head.

Chuckling he took a deep breath and whispered "I wouldn't dare, now would I." He walked over and sat on the white bench that he and Albus had once shared, just a few moments later he felt him self falling asleep.

When Harry woke up he had no idea how long he had been asleep, and though their faces were blurry he knew the two women sitting at his bedside, on his left he saw Luna, the woman he had gotten to know so well over the last couple of years, he often thought he would like to have had a sister like Luna, always saying crazy things yet being one of the wisest and loyal friends he ever knew.

He looked at the other woman, Hermione, he wondered had she married Ron yet, this woman who he was so in love with, who was his best friend, and… and then the memories all came rushing back, he remembered the Druid and the wedding, he remembered struggling through the pain to answer "I do," he was married, and he was married to the most wonderful and intelligent woman in the world, he was married to Hermione.

"Could a thirsty husband have a drink?" he asked with a croaky voice, he could not remember ever feeling quite so weak.

The next thing Harry knew was he was buried in a whole head full of silky brown hair, he thought it odd for a moment, he had always thought of Hermione's hair as wiry, but it was as soft as silk, and as smooth as any hair he had ever felt. To weak to push Hermione off him he relaxed and enjoyed finally being close enough to catch that amazing Hermione scent that he adored with out having to look like a dog sniffing for a bone.

A few seconds of being buried under Hermione's hair and Harry was suddenly looking at a glass of water, behind which was the face of his friend Luna.

After she had given him a few sips Luna handed the glass to Hermione and then walked out of his vision, he heard a door open and Luna say "He's awake."

Harry's ears were suddenly assailed by several voices all asking how he felt, he looked up at the blurry mass and blinked several times, he had just screwed up his eyes to focus a little better when Hermione put him his glasses on, the whole room instantly came into focus along with the people that stood around his bed.

Sometime later…

Harry asked Hermione to take some money from their Gringotts account and buy a pair of wedding rings that she liked, when she protested Harry told her it was the mans place to supply the wedding rings, and she was to spare no expense, once she had agreed with him to get the rings, she asked how she would get money from his account, Harry told her that now that they were married they would both automatically be given access to the Potter and Black family vaults.

When Hermione called into Gringotts the following day, she was surprised to be welcomed as Mrs Potter, the Goblin that had welcomed her, introduced him self as Mr Griphook, and took her to his office where she was given a few forms to sign, she was then taken to the Potter family vault, when Hermione was led into the vault she looked around at the large piles of gold and then had to conjure a chair, she most definitely needed to sit down.

"Blimey, I married a billionaire," she gasped as she sat down looking at all the gold.

Mr Griphook, the Potter and Black family vault keeper smiled a Goblin smile, and with a wave of his hand a piece of parchment appeared in his hand.

"Your account with Gringotts Mrs Potter with both the Potter and Black family fortunes combined amounts to 872 million, 749 thousand, and 902 Galleons three sickles and four knuts," Griphook said as he waved his hand again and the parchment vanished.

Hermione bought a matching pair of wedding rings she saw and instantly fell in love with, one for herself and one for Harry, they were both made from white gold, she had them both engraved with the words '_for all time'_, she also asked the Druid who had married them if he would join them and place the required charms on the rings.

Harry let a tear of happiness fall as he slipped the magically sized wedding ring on the ring finger of Hermione's left hand, where it shrank slightly to fit perfectly, the Druid did the bonding seal on the ring along with anti loss and anti theft charms. He did the same when Hermione placed the ring on Harry's finger and Harry was then allowed to kiss Hermione, "But not to strenuously," Poppy sternly told him, from where she stood at the foot of his bed.

For two weeks Poppy Pomfrey absolutely refused to let him out of his bed, and she always seemed to be around some where, because on the few occasions he had tried to get up to take a walk around the room, or to nip to the toilet she swooped down on him seemingly out of nowhere, and tucked him tightly back into the bed, she did not relent until the day before she said he could go home, but only if he gave his word he would not do anything physical, or even remotely connected with any kind of exercise.

On the day she let him out of the bed, he found himself feeling weak, but only in his legs, Poppy explained that the muscle strengthening potions could only do so much work, after which the muscles needed some real exercise.

"But for you my boy, your exercise will be simply to get to the little boys room and back," she told him with her arms folded firmly across her chest.

For those two whole extremely excruciatingly long, long weeks, each time Hermione visited him she was accompanied by Madam Pomfrey, who would tut and remind Hermione she was not to excite him too soon if she even looked like she was about to kiss him. Harry seriously wished he had his wand with him more than once. Each time his wife gave him a quick simple kiss, and Poppy tutted, he could quite gladly have petrified his healer.

Hermione though really longing to kiss her new husband senseless, still found his frustration with Poppy amusing, she chuckled each time he asked, almost begged her to bring him his wand. "Now Harry you know Poppy said you are to do no magic and nothing remotely strenuous for at least fourteen days," Hermione said almost giggling, a thing Harry had never seen her do before.

On the day that Richard Granger and Hermione came to collect him, Harry had been pacing his room for quite some time, Poppy Pomfrey was with Hermione giving his wife instructions on what she should allow Harry to do, and what she should make sure he did not do.

"Don't forget Hermione I had to open his chest, he really needs at least another two weeks to recover before you tax him too much," Poppy said as they climbed into the back of Richards car.

Richard sat in the front with Helen and they both tried and failed to keep their laughter quiet, as Hermione turned a deep shade of red and looked wide eyed and shocked at the chuckling Healer.

As Richard Granger drove out into the London traffic, Harry was at last able to kiss his wife properly, in fact he kissed her properly all the way to the Granger home in Kent.

Harry felt after waiting so long, that all his dreams had come true when he finally really kissed Hermione, it was a kiss like no other, it was the kind of kiss that he wanted to last for the rest of his life, he moaned when he finally had to pause to get a breath of air. After a small reception held in the Granger back garden with their closest friends, Richard and Helen, Hermione's parents, Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom, Remus and Tonks Lupin, and of course Harry's elf Kreacher, and to Harry's surprise Poppy Pomfrey.

Harry moved into Hermione's bedroom with her until he was fit enough to get out and take Hermione house hunting, together they chose and bought a nice little country cottage with four bedrooms, and for Harry a large garden, the cottage stood next door to his Parents old house in Godrics Hollow.

Both Helen and Richard Granger were happy that their daughter had eventually chosen the right man, and as they got to know Harry over the four weeks he lived with them, they knew for certain that Hermione had chosen the far better man of the two she had thought of marrying as a young girl. They were both a little sorry to see the young couple move out of their house, but knowing they needed to make a life for them selves they helped them move.

Harry gave up his Auror training and instead he applied to Hogwarts for a trainee teacher post, teaching was after all the thing both he and Hermione agreed he was quite good at.

Hermione had a little book shop in Hogsmeade that Harry bought her as a birthday present, and two years after getting married a rather large Hermione Jane Potter was taken into St Mungo's for the birth of her first and second child, the twins a boy and a girl both with black hair were born at six, and five minutes after six the evening of August the first.

Harry James Potter was the proudest man alive that night as he sat at his wife's bedside with his daughter in one arm and his son in the other, Mr and Mrs Granger became two very happy grandparents, and Hermione thanked the day that she had been called away from her wedding.


End file.
